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  • FirstGear warranty returns

    I've been a big fan of FirstGear's leather overpants. They have side zippers so you can step in and step out of them quickly, which makes commuting with work clothes underneath a breeze. I've also crashed them with a high degree of success.

    The downfall was the cheap zippers for the sidezips. I've had them for about 3 years and the shuttles and pull tabs were toast. They couldn't be moved, and the teeth engagement was crap so that the pants would open while I was riding.

    FirstGear offers a 10 year warranty on all their products, although they request that you return them through the dealer which you bought them, along with proof of purchase. I had none of that, but I contact the rep in Texas via their phone number. In less than a day she'd emailed me back and sent me a return slip and a UPS label.

    I've had stitching and zippers fail pretty often on gear with zero support from the manufacturer, so color me impressed that anyone will actually pay out on their quality claim. I'll keep everyone updated on the outcome, but so far so good.

  • #2
    I got the pants back today.

    The good: All the broken zipper shuttles were replaced. All the broken zipper teeth were replaced. Part of the problem was due to the amount of slack in the liner, and the liner edges have been reduced so that they don't overlap as easily into the zipper teeth on the sides.

    The slightly annoying: The repair, including shipping took close to 30 days (admittedly, part of it was during the holidays). Some of the liner modification sewing is a little sloppy in terms of the line and the amount of double stitching.

    Overall: Satisfied. For what I paid for these (on clearance) and the amount of use they've taken, I'm happy with the free repairs considering a replacement would have put me out around $350. The repairs don't hinder function, which is all the matters. The only damper on the whole deal was the return time, but I was wearing pants with motocross armor anyhow.

    For the record: The newest generation of FirstGear's Sport Tour Leather Overpants are an upgrade over the generation that I own in that they now have CE approved armor in the hip and knee areas and are made of treated leather to reduce water adsorption. They're also covered by the same 10 year warranty.

    Considering the customer service and the amount of use my pants currently get, if I retire them I'll likely upgrade for a pair to put into service. They've worked well for commuting, and have held up over years of touring and camping trips.

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